COOKING WITH BRITT
Canning, Pickling & Preserving By Britt Allgood
S
ummer is the time of growing and harvesting the bounty that nature provides. That garden is full of fruits and vegetables all at their peak of flavor and freshness. This usually means they are less expensive to buy at the farm stand or the store. It’s time to preserve some of that bounty so you can still have a taste of summer freshness later in the year. All my life, my family have been gardeners - both vegetables and flowers. My grandparents would plant well over an acre of beans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and on and on. This continued after their children had grown up and it was just the two of them. My parents also followed the tradition and shared their love of gardening with me and my brother. I’m overjoyed to see my brother and sister-in-law, are doing the same with their children. But you are only getting half the story. What do you do with all that fresh produce? Many vegetables can be used as they ripen but there are plenty more that should be harvested immediately. The cornucopia of deliciousness must be preserved. Today, you can vacuum seal and freeze many things but not all. Neither tomatoes or cucumbers survive freezing very well. They need to be turned into something that can be stored such as tomato sauce, tomato juice, or pickles. I can remember the marathon canning sessions at my grandparents and my parent’s house when the gardens “came in”. It was all hands on deck with people cleaning and chopping, boiling, and canning. The kitchen took on humidity and heat like a sauna as we processed the finished products.
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Purchase Area Family Magazine
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2022
23
